It seems that in recent years, commercials are more and more becoming anavenue to reunite familiar facesfor fun little nostalgia throwbacks. Whether it’s Bruce Willis returning as John McClane or Timothée Chalamet as the son of Edward Scissorhands in a recent Super Bowl ad, the short throwaway nature of advertising makes them perfect for small callbacks to classic media andGremlinsis the latest film to get such treatment.
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Gremlins, for the uninitiated, was a 1984 comedy-horror film directed by Joe Dante and follows the story of Billy shortly after he receives a strange pet called a Mogwai. The pet comes with a series of strange and unusual rules that must be followed, one of them being to never feed the creature after midnight. Of course, that very thing ends up happening by accident, and it causes the mogwai to duplicate, spawning more of themselves. The group of creatures swiftly prove themselves to be the troublemaking sort and begin to get into all sorts of dangerous behavior that the protagonist must put a stop to.
The Mountain Dew ad, titled “Rule #4: Must Be Refreshing After Midnight”, follows in the same footsteps, with Billy drinking a bottle ofZero Sugar Mountain Dewbefore offering a sip to his mogwai friend. The mogwai, of course, manages to spill the soda all over himself, beginning the process of duplication and frustrating Billy and his teenage daughter.
Overall, the ad is a pleasant throwback to the original film and the special effects are certainly a step up from the first Gremlinsfilm, making the whole thing a charming little nostalgia trip for fans of the original. Not to mention the fact that Zach Galligan seems to slide quite naturally back into the role of Billy Peltzer. While there is still an animatedGremlinsspin-off in the works, this commercial can hopefully tide over longtime fans untilGremlins: Secrets of the Mogwaiis finally available.
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwaiis expected to be released in 2021 on HBO Max.
